Seven sea bream or three sea bass: daily quotas for fishing enthusiasts are tightening.
Limits on fish caught and temporary bans on catching some species: the Government tightens recreational fishing regulations.
BarcelonaThe regulations that govern the practice of recreational fishing In inland waters off the coast of Barcelona, Tarragona, and Terres de l'Ebre, the restrictions will be tightened starting in September, once the new regulations announced by the Department of Agriculture this Monday are approved. The new regulations follow the model in force since 2024 on the Girona coast, which establishes daily quotas and minimum sizes for 44 species. It also includes a fishing ban for some specimens—in a dozen cases—for a period of time. The regulations will affect both recreational fishermen on boats and those who fish with rods from the coast or those who practice underwater fishing.
According to a statement from the Department of Agriculture, these measures aim to ensure the rational exploitation of these species and their adequate conservation and regeneration. The quarantine of species included in the catch regulation list are the most well-known and appreciated among recreational fishermen. For example, a maximum of seven sea breams of 30 centimetres minimum size, three sea bass of 40 centimetres, two groupers of 50 centimetres, fifteen cuttlefish of 12 centimetres or ten squid of 18 centimetres will be allowed to be caught daily. The idea is to ensure that these species can be caught when they are already reproductively fit.
In addition, different periods of closed season Biological fishing bans—a fishing ban for several months of the year—will apply to a dozen species. In the case of the Barcelona and Tarragona coasts, they will be implemented gradually over time to "protect the breeding and fry-raising season." For sea bass and sand eel, the ban will be one month. For grouper, the ban will be extended by a month and a half. Rockfish, rock eel, sea bass, and John Dory will have a two-month ban, and for sea bream and ray, the ban will be extended by three months. The new regulations, which will be in force between September 2025 and September 2027, update the 1995 decree regulating recreational fishing and also seek to comply with the European Commission's requirements to regulate the sector.
This figure equates the maximum catch limit for personal consumption with that of vessels fishing in external waters, which are regulated and owned by the State. Inland waters, under the jurisdiction of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), are located between the inlets of the coast: in the case of Barcelona, the line between Arenys de Mar and Barcelona; in the case of Tarragona and the Ebro coast, from Cape Salou to Alcanar.
